Journey to the Caribbean with Explora Journeys

Explora Journeys’ excellent service began as soon as we reached the dock for our Bridgetown, Barbados to Miami cruise, which we took in February 2024. The hosts took our luggage, offered us drinks and had us wait under a covered tent before busing us to the ship at the end of the dock. My first impression of the Explora was just “Wow.” She looked like a sleek and elegant mega yacht with beautiful black and red colors.

Once onboard, our check in was completed in the Explorer Lounge. The process went quickly and was made very personal. Upon arrival in Barbados, we discovered that my partner’s, Gerry, bag didn’t make it on the flight and that it wouldn’t arrive until after the ship departed. We were given the keys to our suite and directed to Adam, a concierge who helped get our lost bag delivered the next afternoon in St. Lucia. One packing tip: Consider putting half of each of you and your travel partner’s clothes in each suitcase so you both have something to wear.

Our Ocean Terrace Suite (OT4 #9038) was about 377 square feet and beautifully decorated, with little extra touches that made it feel homey. We were pleasantly surprised to find a chilled bottle of champagne and a welcome letter waiting for us. The room had a king size bed with a down comforter and very soft throw blanket. There were nightstands on both sides of the bed with USB and the new Apple ports. Each side of the bed had reading lights but only one side had a normal AC plug. This is important if you have a CPAP machine. There was a Nespresso machine and electric tea pot with tea/coffee options and glasses. The safe was in one of the drawers and had a nice little jewelry box inside for convenience. The closet was very large with about six drawers, lots of cubbies for belongings and plenty of hangers. There was a vanity in the closet with a chair, magnified mirror and — my favorite — a Dyson hair dryer, which is such a nice touch and an example of the ship’s luxury. The bathroom was spacious with plenty of space for toiletries and a large rainforest shower, as well as a handheld wand. Our terrace was large enough for two chairs, a table and chaise lounge. It was a bit hot and humid on most days during our cruise but it was really nice on sea days. One little tip: Read the books on the wall picture – they tell a story.

The rest of the ship was just as beautiful with soft inviting colors and wonderful design. The focal point of the lobby was the Lobby Bar, with a backdrop that stood several stories illuminated from behind highlighting the bottles and décor. It was spectacular.

Some of my favorite spots on the ship: • Crema Café on Deck 5 became my daily ritual for a vanilla latte and fruit, cookies or little tea sandwiches. It was a nice place to play cards and people-watch. • The Spa on Deck 5 had a truly wonderful hot stone massage. It was one of the best I’ve ever had! • The Malt Whiskey Bar and Cigar Humidor had gorgeous leather couches and fun pictures that made for a relaxing getaway. • The Astern Pool at the aft of the ship has a great pool with shallow water to just hang out in. The lounges are nice with excellent service. The ship offers three outdoor and one indoor pool with a retractable roof, all of which were never crowded and we always found a lounge chair or cabana. • The Gelateria and Creperie on Deck 11 offered freshly made crepes with jams, hazelnut spread, chocolate and more. It was a great place for an afternoon treat. They also served fresh fruit, soft-serve ice cream and gelato.

We found that the shopping on the ship upscale with stores including Rolex (the only one at sea), Cartier, Panerai and the Journeys shop. The selection for daily needs or clothing was very limited. We had to purchase a few things for Gerry due to his delayed bag — a bathing suit, T-shirt and a pair of skivvies — which totaled 300 euro. A toothbrush was 19 euro! One additional word of shopping caution: An Italian XXL is about the equivalent to a large in the US.

Dining was truly a treat and we were able to try most of the options while on the Explora I. There are only two of the included restaurants that require a reservation: Marble & Co. and Sakura. The biggest surprise was the Emporium Marketplace, which I was expecting to be a typical buffet. Believe me, this buffet was anything but typical! We had grilled lobster, crab legs, mussels, steak, a sushi station and much more. The Emporium Marketplace was wonderful and the staff was attentive. They were pouring wine and champagne and changing our silverware and napkins, making the experience very “unbuffet-y.” You could tell some staff were new, but the managers were right on top of everything, guiding and teaching them to make sure everything was perfect. The buffet mostly offered the same dishes throughout our sailing with the exception of the carving station. We enjoyed both Fil Rouge, which is described as “a global tasting tour of French-inspired international cuisine,” and Med Yacht Club, “a relaxed celebration of the flavors, ambience and dolce vita of the Mediterranean.” The menus at these restaurants don’t change.

We did not get a chance to try Sakura, which is described as “an immersive, authentic dining experience offering the finest Pan-Asian cuisine,” or Anthology, which showcases Italian cuisine. Anthology’s menus are curated by some of the greatest guest chefs and are paired with exclusive wines and fine non-alcoholic beverages picked by experienced sommeliers (an extra fee applies). They offer both indoor or al fresco dining options.

Marble & Co. Grill is a must-do European Steakhouse. I was served the most amazing filet I’ve ever had and ate caviar for the first time. I tried the signature crushed fingerling potatoes, Le Beurre Bordier butter from Normandy, Calvisius Oscietra caviar, crème fraîche, chives, which was described as “a simple dish executed with the finest ingredients.” The crushed fingerling potatoes are made with Bordier Butter, arguably, the finest in the world, served only in the best establishments. Potatoes are topped with Calvisius Oscietra Caviar, known the world over for being some of the best quality caviar available; the caviar is sustainably produced in Italy, in an area rich with fresh spring water, contributing to its high quality and low-salt flavor.”

Entertainment on board was pretty good. Some of the shows in the lounge included A Tribute to Billy Joel, A Tribute to Carole King, and Tiano. Tiano features Shimi Goodman and Chris Hamilton, who have performed in London’s prestigious cabaret venue Crazy Coqs in Piccadilly. They also showed a few movies by the pool, which was called Silent Sweet Cinema. They also put on a Super Bowl viewing party. We enjoyed being able to watch the game on a big screen. The only thing missing from the experience were the Super Bowl commercials. They must’ve had to buy the rights to show it and the only advertisers featured were sports franchises like the Masters and Futbol La Liga. We found the food and drink service slow during the Super Bowl and other guests ended up going upstairs to the buffet and bringing food down. In the later evenings, there was a silent disco, karaoke and DJ Petrus.

The Ocean Wellness Center was small but well equipped. They had fitness machines indoors and outdoors. A big hit were the Pilates reformers. Guests staying in the Ocean Penthouses and Residences can get a gym kit for their room. Ocean Terrace Suites guests can get a slimmed-down kit in their stateroom upon request.

We had to keep the shore excursions on the mild side due to Gerry’s arm. Here are the ones we did: • Deshaies, Guadeloupe: Beach Bliss and Botanical Gardens. The gardens were beautiful. Our guide had lots of funny stories about growing up in Guadeloupe and was very personable. We ended up on the beach with a few drinks before heading back to the ship. • St. John’s, Antigua: Sunset Catamaran Sailing. We went out about 4 p.m. and got a tour of the island from the boat. We saw great hotels and houses, the island’s only nude beach and the sunset. • We didn’t do an Explora excursion in Spanish town (Virgin Gorda) because they had sold out. Instead, we took an open-air taxi ($5 per person) from where the ship docked to the Baths, which is a national park and natural wonder. The park entry fee was $3 per person and the area was a lot of fun. For less agile or older clients, you can go down the easier exit path and enjoy the beach without the big hike. Afterward, there were taxis waiting to take people back to the ship for $5 per person.

A few more observations/takeaways from our “A Journey to Butterfly Islands & Sea Stars” cruise: • The Kids’ Club was small but there were about 20 or so children on the ship. • The ship ran out of Diet Coke for a few days. • We didn’t get the bottle of alcohol in our room until the fourth day. • The Explora I’s staff was extremely friendly; always smiling and ready to serve. • There was confusion regarding the life-boat drill with mixed messages. • Camo clothing is not allowed in St. John’s, Antigua. • The pool table didn’t stay level. • We found lots of Europeans - many French and British - on board. • Adam, the concierge, went above and beyond to put us at ease regarding our luggage. He confidently announced that he would take care of it and we should relax. • The last day in the Emporium Marketplace was not as smooth as the rest of the sailing with so many people needing to be out of their room. Remember to be patient. • Our account did not show up on our TV but we were able to get a printout at the front desk. • The ship was very smooth and quiet with no engine noise.